Rip Van Who?
6. Rising Action
Bra shot forward and hit the monster, hit it hard, sending it tumbling end on end into a building. The wall cracked with the impact. "Y…you brat!" The monster gasped, trying to stand up.
"Don't complain because you're outta your league," Bra said, letting her feet drift off the ground once more. "It's disgraceful." The young half-saiyan was really only toying with the monster, the brief episode of violence just a way to vent her frustration. A whole week had passed, with no sign of her best friend. Bra was so sure she'd been on the verge of beating whatever was controlling Pan. If only she hadn't been distracted…
Bra disappeared completely, reappearing near the monster. She lashed out with her foot, breaking whatever passed for bones and sending the monster hurtling into the air.
Bra pointed her finger at the monster. "Bang! You're dead!" She fired an energy blast, a deceptively small sphere of brilliant blue-white light. It exploded on impact, leaving nothing behind. No evidence that there ever was a monster.
Except, maybe, for the battle-scarred surroundings. Windows had shattered under the force of her blows, and there were great gaping holes in walls where she had simply thrown the monster through the concrete, brick, and mortar. The street was nothing but a crater, from when Bra had powered up all the way. Cars were thrown, some still burning.
She was actually quite surprised at how long the monster had lasted. Mostly it was because Bra was going for the hurt, and not the kill, but even still she'd be hard-pressed to find a human that would've remained conscious after even one of her blows. Well, that wasn't true. Krillen or Yamcha would have, but it would still have hurt them.
Bra tried to let go of her pain. Amy and Serena were there for her, but the half-saiyan felt what little comfort they could offer slipping away from her as time passed.
"Bra, did you do all this?"
The young half-saiyan turned, startled. She hadn't felt anyone approach, though her mind had been distracted. Amy knelt down to look her little sister in the eye. Bra nodded, a little hesitant. "I know you're hurting inside, but you have to behave more responsibly with your powers."
"I know," Bra said.
"We'll get her back, kiddo," Serena promised for what to Bra seemed like the thousandth time. "You just have to believe, and keep hope alive."
Despair gave way to anger. "I'm tired of just believing and hoping. It's not working and I want my friend back!"
The ground splintered beneath her feet, as her anger drove her deeper into her source of power. Her feet left the ground. Bra hung in the air for a moment, before disappearing from view entirely. A sonic boom hit the area, the compressed movement of air almost throwing Amy to the ground.
"She just needs time to cool off, Amy," Lita said, putting a reassuring hand on Amy's shoulder.
"I know," Amy said, shaking her head. "I'm just worried about her."
"She'll be okay," Serena reassured her friend. "Bra's a tough kid."
"That's what I'm worried about," Amy said. Lita and Serena shot their friend a questioning look. "I've run a few scans, in case we ever have to go against her again, and the results aren't good."
"What do you mean?" Serena asked, her voice concerned.
"Bra's powers seem to come from her life energy," Amy explained, sitting down on the nearby pavement. She looked pained, and her two friends were once again reminded of how close she and the young enigma had become, almost as if they really were sisters. They could understand it, of course. Life energy was something to be treasured, protected, not used as a weapon. That Bra used it to such devastating effect seemed antithetical to its purpose.
"Her energy… it's not like ours," Amy continued. "It's not limited in the same way, at least, not as far as I can tell." She shook her head. How could she explain the sheer magnitude of their problem? She couldn't even begin to quantify the hidden power sleeping within her younger sister.
"What are you saying, Amy?" Serena pressed.
"She has enough energy to obliterate this planet, this solar system, maybe even this galaxy," Amy said, shaking her head again. "If we had to fight her, we wouldn't stand a chance."
"We could train," Lita suggested. "Get stronger."
"I'm afraid that wouldn't do any good," Amy said gloomily. "We could train from now until the day we died, and we'd still never get any closer to her level. Bra's just… she's just powerful on an entirely different scale from the kind of enemies we're used to dealing with."
"We have to believe in her," Serena said firmly, ever the optimist. "Bra's a good kid, Amy. She'd never do anything on purpose to endanger the world. She's just hurting right now. We have to be there for her."
"I know," Amy said.
"You just have to believe, Amy. It'll all work out in the end," Serena said confidently. "Now come on, we have to get home. Luna said Central was close to finding Beryl's base, so you can bet we'll have a showdown soon enough." The other two nodded, Amy casting one last look at her damaged surroundings.
***
Her surroundings were barren, dead, though there was evidence of a once great civilisation present. There were broken pillars, shattered remnants of what had to have been a marvellous palace scattered across the desolate wasteland. Bra could see the Earth, her home, shining brilliantly above her, a blue crescent.
"Where am I?" Bra wondered aloud.
"This is the moon."
Bra whirled around, energy gathered in her hand, ready to blast whoever was standing behind her. There was something substantially different about the woman standing there. She stood regally, carrying herself with dignity and grace. The woman had warm, loving, blue eyes, and long silver hair, worn in the same distinct style as Serena's. She was dressed simply, in a long white gown.
"Who are you?" Bra demanded.
"My name is Serenity," said the woman, smiling warmly at Bra. "This was once my kingdom."
"On the moon," Bra finished flatly. "The moon's not capable of sustaining life. It doesn't have enough gravity to even hold an atmosphere. Who are you really?"
"I am telling you the truth. I am Queen Serenity, of the Silver Moon Kingdom," said the woman. She took a step towards Bra, and Bra quickly took a step back, the energy still boiling in her hand growing just a little more brilliant.
"Yeah? Well I've been tricked by people who claim to be royalty before, so you'll forgive me if I don't jump to believe you," said Bra. "You know who I am?"
"Yes," said Serenity, smiling warmly. "You are the descendant of Prince Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans."
"I'm his daughter," Bra amended.
"Yes," said Serenity, nodding.
Bra released her energy, reabsorbing it into her system, but she never
dropped her guard.. "How do you know my papa anyway?"
"I met him a thousand years ago," said Serenity, a look of understanding on her face. "He left Earth with your mother and brother, shortly before the rise of the Silver Alliance."
"Papa and mama left Earth?" Bra asked, her voice holding a note of uncertainty for the first time. Maybe this was knowledge that she didn't want to have. Maybe not knowing would make her happier in the long run. Still, she had to ask. "I-is that why I can't sense them?"
"A thousand years have passed, princess," Serenity said, a note of an apology in her voice. "Though Saiyans are long-lived, even they do not last a thousand years. And your mother was human."
Bra took a deep shuddering breath. Her mama and papa were dead. Serenity all but said it. She tried to fight back the tears welling up in her eyes. She had to be strong now, she was the Crown Princess of the Saiyans. She'd have time to cry later.
"Why am I here?" Bra asked, trying to sound regal.
"I have brought you here to ask you for your help, and to offer you some advice," Serenity said solemnly. "Your friend Pan is still with the Negaverse. She poses a significant danger to the people of Earth."
"Don't you think I don't know that?" Bra demanded. She punched one of the broken stone pillars in frustration. The stone shattered under the power of the blow. "I've been training so hard, but no matter how hard I train, I can't sense her anywhere!"
"You must not give up, princess," Serenity said. "The time for your confrontation with Pan will come shortly, and when it does, you have to be prepared to do what needs to be done."
"W-what are you saying?" Bra stammered.
"You may have to destroy your friend's body to prevent her from destroying the world," said Queen Serenity.
"I-I can't do that!" Bra said, jumping to her feet. "Pan's my very best friend! We've been through everything together!"
Serenity smiled at Bra, a look of understanding on her face. "I understand," the Queen said. "But sometimes our choices aren't easy. If you do not act to stop the creature in control of Pan's body, if you are not willing to do everything in your power to win your battle, then the world is already lost. You already know that the Sailor Scouts cannot hope to stand against Pan. You can feel it."
A moment of silence passed between the two. "The choice is ultimately yours. I only plead with you to make the right one." Serenity sighed. "Please, when the time comes, remember my words."